Whangarei Heads – a hidden Gem

Whangarei Heads is 30 minutes from Whangarei, New Zealand’s most Northern City. It is not on the road to anywhere else, so most people don’t know about it. But it is one of my favourite spots in New Zealand, and most summers I try to spend some time there.

The drive alone is worth the visit – as it hugs the harbour and its myriad of Pohutukawa lined Bays. This summer we set out to explore the Reotahi Marine Reserve – underwater, and kayaking.

Reotahi Marine Reserve

At one end of McCleods Bay, a road goes off to the left past The Deck Cafe (definately worth a stop on the way or on the way home!), and snakes around the foot of Mt Aubrey to Reotahi. There is a parking area, and a short walk takes you to a selection of spots to explore. In fact there is a walkway around the coast from which many tracks snake down to the waters edge.

Our first trip we do by road, parking our car and walking to the main beach. We climb into our snorkelling gear and swim over to the island offshore. The fish are more plentiful around the rocks, but there is always a chance of seeing stingrays on the sandy bottom off shore. Today unfortunately the water is not clear enough after the recent storm